Football protective harness



Oct. 9, 1928.

v H. GOLDSMITH FOOTBALLT PROTECTIVE HARNESS Filed Dec. 14, 1925 ATTORNEYS Patented 7 Oct. 9, 1928.

HUGO GOLDSMITH, OF oINoI'NNATLoHIo, ASSIGNOR TO THE P. GOLDSMITH PATENT OFFICE.

PANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORA'IION OF OHIO.

FOOTBALL PROTECTIVE HARNESS.

- Application filed December My invention relates to protective harness forathletic contestsand particularly to protective harness forfootball players.

It is the object of my invention to provide protective harness which will have members which will be so disposed as to take the initial shock of a blow and in whichthese members will be so contoured and mounted on a supporting strucjture asto evenly distribute the impulse of the shock on the supporting structure which is secured to whatever portion of the body the members are designed to protect.

I contemplate the use of molded orv shaped fiber or some such stiff outer members which may, if desired, be covered with cloth or leather and I support these outer membersin such position that the initial shook of'a blow will be so well distributed that the force of the blow will never be felt directly under the place on which it has fallen. I

Referring to the drawing in which I have illustrated my invention as applied to a shoulder and chest protector:

Figure 1 is a front perspective of the chest and shoulder protecting harness.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the harness as indicated by the lines22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the harness as indicated by the'lines 33 in Fi 'ure 1.

enerally indicated at 1 I have shown a supporting structure which may suitably be made of canvas or leather which is shaped like a vest open at front and back with the laces 2 and eyelets 8 providing a means of lacing the vest in back and the laces 4 and eyelets 5 providing a means of lacing it in front. The means of lacing and whether the inner or supporting vest-like garment isvopen at the front or back is immaterial as it forms no part of my. invention. Onto the vest is secured by rows of stitching 6the molded fiber pieces 7 which extend from the front lower edge of the vest-like member up over the shoulders to the back side of the portions overlying the shoulder blades. These pieces are contoured to a greater curvature than will occur on the vest-like portion when it is adjusted on the body so that the only positions of actual contact between the molded pieces 14, 1925. Serial No 75,324.

and the undervest are at the/lower side of the frontand'at the backof the shoulders. The 1 remaining portions ofqthe' molded pieces L are thus suspended in bulging position away from the vest'so'that an air space exists between the fiber pieces and the vest over the portions of the body which are most susceptible to shock such as the clavicle and neck I bones. Further by attaching the shoulder guard, caps 8. and thecover :oaps 9 which overlaps the shoulder caps to. the molded pieces, I provide'a novel method of supporting these guard caps and shoulder caps which tend to diminish very perceptibly'the direct shock of a blow directed sideways against the top of the shoulder.

In football harness for'protecting the shoulders and chest and collar bones it is of great importance thatlightness of structure and ease of movement within the harness should be accompanied b great resistance to direct blows. Practically in every play each playercontacts with some other player and his chest and shoulders are the main portions of his body which have to withstand the shock of the engagement.

Ivy so arranging my molded pieces so that i plished a step in protecting athletes from in ury of no small importance. 7

While I have shown my molded pieces as secured at bothfront and back edges to the supporting vest-like structure I consider the provision of an integral piece which will fit over the neck of a player and which is secured only in front or back much like a horse collar well within the range of mechanical equivalency.

It should further be understood that although I have illustrated my invention as applied to a chest and shoulder protector that it is equally applicable to protectiveharness adapted to fit other portions of the body. What I consider the basic idea embodied in my novel structure is the provision of outer protecting 'members molded to retain permanent curvatures greater than the curvatures of that portion of the body which they are designed to protect, in combination with supporting members provided with means for securing the supporting sons comthe back side of the shoulder portions of portions which extend from the lower side members about the body or portions thereof, the molded members being secured to the supporting members at their edges or an edge only. a r 1 Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is p 1. An athletes protective vest, having pieces which extend from the front lower side of the vest up over the shoulders to the vest, said pieces of stifl material contoured to a greater curvature than will oc our on the vest when itis adjusted on the body, said pieces supported on the vest only at their ends so that portions of the pieces intermediate the ends will be spaced from the vest, and the clavicles and neck bones of a wearerthereby protected. 7

2. An athletes protective vest having pieces which extend from the front. lower side of the vest up over the shoulders to the backside of the shoulder portions of the vest, said pieces of stilt material contoured to a greater curvature than will occur on the vest when it is adjusted on the body, said pieces supported on the vest only at their ends so that portions ofthepieces intermediate the ends will be spaced from the vest, and the clavicles and neck bones of thereof.

3. In an athletes protective harness, stifii of the harness in front up over the shoulders to that part of the harness overlying the shoulder blades in back, in combination with means for supporting said portions at the ends thereof, said portions having spaced portions intermediate the ends contoured to a greater curvature than said supporting means, and said supporting means comprisingflexible portions" adapted to conform to the shape of the *body.

HUGO GOLD SMITH. 

